Drying apparatus.



PATENTED NOV..17, 1903'.

W; STRAW.

DRYING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2 1903.

s SHBBTS-SHEET 1.

y no MODEL.-

WITNESSES: W

PATBNTED' NOV. 17, 1903. w. STRAW. I DRYING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILEDMAY 2, 190 3.

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NO MODEL.

INVENTOR:

W'lTN EYSS ES:

THE mums PETERS cg. FHOTO-UTHOU wAsnmuron. D. c.

ignates central supporting standards.

UNITED STATES Patented November 17, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILFRED STRAW, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE DE LONGHOOK AND EYE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFWEST VIRGINIA.

DRYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 74%429, dated November17, 1903. Application filed May 2. 1203. Serial No. 155,273. (No model.)

.the apparatus is to-dry card packages of books and eyes, but, as willbe understood,

it may he used for the purpose of drying other objects and still bewithin the scope of my invention. 7

In the manufacture of hook and eye card packages, the hooks and eyes arefirst sewed upon a card, after which a strip of paper or other suitablematerial is pasted upon the back of the card over the stitches formed inthe operation'of securing the hooks and eyes to the card. I

After this has been done, it is necessary to subject the hook and eyepackages to a drying process, and the packages should be held orretained in a perfectly flat condition during the time they are beingdried. v

The object of the present invention is to provide suitable means fordrying the hook and eye card packages, and at the same time retain themor hold them in a flattened condition. A convenient form of mechanismfor this purpose is described herein and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation,

Figure 2 a longitudinal vertical sectional elevation, and

Figure 3 a top plan view of the mechanism employed.

In the drawings,

1 designates supporting standards located at opposite ends of theapparatus, and 2 des- Upon the said standards a boxing or casing 3 issecured.

Located at opposite ends of the apparatus, and within the boxing orcasing 3, are rollers 4 mounted upon shafts 5, rotatably supported inbearings 6.

As depicted in the drawings, the bearings 6 are secured directly to thesupporting standards 1. It is to be understood, however, that theserollers may be supported in any suitable and convenient manner directlyupon the sides of the boxing or casing 3.

Located upon the outside of the boxing or casing 3, and supported in amanner similar to the rollers 4, are two rollers 7, the upper one ofwhich is in the same horizontal plane as the lowest one of the rollers4, located at the same end of the boxing or casing 3, while the lowerone of the rollers 7 is located below the last-mentioned series ofrollers 4 and in the same plane as the lowest roller of the serieslocated at the opposite end of the boxing or casing.

Secured upon the top of the boxing or casing, and within the transversecentral vertical planes of the two series of rollers 4, are rollers 8and 9, the latter rollers being adjustably mounted for a purpose to behereininafter explained.

As illustrated, the shafts 10 and 11 of the rollers 8 and 9 are mountedin bearings having screw-threaded connection with a horizontallyarranged screw-threaded rod 12 adapted to be rotated, and the rotationof which causes a bodily movement of the shaft bearings, as the said rodis held against longitudinal movement.

It is obvious that any other suitable mechanism may be employed foradjusting the rollers 8 and 9.

Centrally located with respect to the apparatus, and with respect to theboxing or casing and the end supporting standards, are guiding andsupporting rollers 13 arranged in alternate staggered relation uponopposite sides, respectively, of the centrally disposed supportingstandards 2.

As illustrated, the shafts 14 upon which the said rollers are mountedare supported in bearings 15 which are secured to the central'standards2, but it is to'be understood that the said shafts may be supporteddirectly upon the sides of the boxing or casing 3.

16 designates smallguide rollers located at the bottom and at the top,respectively, of the boxing or casing 3.

Supported upon the rollers 4, 7, 8, 9 and 13, are conveyer belts 17 and18, the former of which is designated herein as the outer conveyer belt,and the latter as the inner conveyer belt. The main portions of theconveyer belts are located and travel within the boxing or casing 3, asshown in drawings.

In the operation of the apparatus, it will be found that the beltsstretch and become too loose for satisfactory use; or it may happen thatone of the belts (either the inner one or the outer one) may stretchmore and therefore become looser than the other. To overcome thisdifiiculty and maintain the belts in proper tension, the adjustablerollers 8 and 9 are provided.

It is obvious that if the roller 8 is moved toward the rightin Figure 2of the drawings, the tension of the outer belt 17 would be decreased;or, if on the other hand, the said roller were moved toward the left,the tension of the said belt would be increased.

Referring to the other side of the apparatus, it will be seen uponinspection of Figure 2 of the drawings, that if the roller 9 were movedto the left, the tension of each of the belts would be decreased.

If the roller 8 were moved at the same time to the left a correspondingdistance, the outer belt would remain at the same tension while thetension of the inner belt would be decreased.

Upon adjusting the said roller 9 toward the right in Figure 2, thetension of each of the belts is increased. If at the same time theroller 8 be adjusted toward the right, in the said figure, acorresponding distance, the tension of the outer conveyer belt 17 wouldremain the same.

As a means for causing the travel of the conveyer belts, I have providedthe driving band wheel 19, which is mounted upon one end of the shaft,upon which the upper one of the centrally located rollers 13 upon theright hand side of the centrally disposed supporting standards 2 issupported.

It is obvious, however, that this driving band wheel may be otherwisesupported and in difierent relation to the other elements of theapparatus.

The said driving wheel is driven by means of a band 20 having connectionwith suitable power mechanism not shown. Also mounted upon the sameshaft as the band wheel is an elongated driving pulley 21, provided witha series of grooves adapted to receive the loops of driving cords 22 and23, which extend in opposite directions to pulleys 24 and 25, mountedupon the shafts upon which the two series of rollers 4 are mounted. Theband wheel,driving cords,and conveyer belts travel in the directionindicated by the arrows in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

To increase the temperature of the region within the boxing or casing 3,for the purpose of quickly drying the card packages, I have provided thepipes 26 located in the bottom of the said boxing or casing and throughwhich a heated fluid is passed. be understood, that these pipes may beheated by the use of hot water or steam; or that any other suitablemeans may be employed for this purpose.

It will be observed that the outer and inner conveyer belts areseparated from each other near the bottom of the boxing or casing asindicated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

It is at this point that the card packages of hooks and eyes aredelivered upon the top of the outer conveyer belt from a delivery chute27. The cards are carried from this point between belts back and forththrough the boxing or casing until they reach the upper portion of theboxing or casing, where the belts are again separated as indicated inFig ure 2 of the drawings. The card packages at this point are supportedupon the upper side of the inner conveyer belt and carried along untilthey are knocked off the said belt by means of the knock-off strip 28,which is arranged diagonally across the belt. The weight of the saidstrip is supported by the said belt and the strip is capable of verticalmovement, being guided in its vertical movements by the vertical rods 29with which it loosely engages. While permitting vertical movement of thestrip, the rods 29 prevent the strip from moving laterally, that is tosay, in the direction of travel of the conveyor belts. As the cards areremoved from the belt by the knock-on? device 28, they fall into adischarge chute 30 which directs the cards into a suitable receivingreceptacle not shown.

After the strips of paper or other suitable material have been pastedupon the backs of the cards bya suitable mechanism, not shown, and whichforms no part of this invention, they are delivered to the deliverychute 27, and from this chute are directed upon the upper side of theouter belt near the bottom of the apparatus, as clearly shown in Figure2 of the drawings, as above stated; and, as has been already indicated,the cards travel back and forth'between the inner and outer belts withinthe heated region of the boxing or casing 3, until they reach theknock-olf device 28, where they are removed from the belts and directedinto the discharge chute 30.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a drying apparatus,in combination, an endless conveyer, and a knock-ofl'f strip supportedby the said conveyer, substantially as described.

,2. In a drying apparatus, in combination, an endless conveyer, aknock-off strip supported by the said conveyer, and means for It will,of course,

preventing lateral movement of said strip,

substantially as described.

3. In a drying apparatus, in combination, an endless conveyer, aknock-off strip supported by the said conveyer, and means for increasingthe temperature of the region through which the conveyer travels.

4. In a drying apparatus, in combination, an endless conveyer, verticalrods located on opposite sides of said conveyer, aknock'off stripsupported upon and extending across the said conveyer, and the saidstrip being in engagement with said rods.

5. In a drying apparat-us,.in combination, an endless conveyer, verticalrods located on opposite sides of said conveyer, a knock-off stripsupported by and extending across the said conveyer, the saidstriploosely and movably engaging the said rods.

6. In a drying apparatus, in combination, an endless conveyer, verticalrods located on opposite sides of said conveyer, a knock-off stripsupported by and extending across the said conveyer, the said stripbeing in engagement With the said rods, and means for increasing thetemperature of the region through Whichthe conveyer travels.

7. In a drying apparatus for card packages of books and eyes, incombination, an endless conveyer belt, a second endless conveyer belttraveling in contact with the first named belt and adapted to hold acard package in flattened condition, and a device supported by one ofthe said belts, and adapted to remove said card package therefrom,substantially as described.

8. In a drying apparatus, in combination, an endless conveyer belt, asecond endless conveyer belt traveling in contact With the first namedbelt, and a vertically movable device located in contact with one of thesaid belts, substantially as described.

9. In a drying apparatus, for card packages of hooks and eyes, incombination, an endless conveyer belt, a second endless conveyer belttraveling in contact with the first named belt, and a knock-01f stripextending across and being supported by one of said belts, substantiallyas described.

10. In a drying'apparatus, in combination, an endless conveyer belt, asecond endless conveyer belt traveling in contact with the first namedbelt, and a knock-off strip extending diagonally across and beingsupported by one of the said belts, substantially as described. V

11. In adrying apparatus forcard packages of hooks and eyes, incombination, an endless con veyer belt, a second endless conveyer belttraveling in contact with the first named belt.

and adapted to hold a card package in flattened condition, a knock-01fdevice supported by one of said belts and adapted to occasion theremoval of the card package therefrom, and means for increasing thetemperature of the region through which the conveyer belts travel. 4

12. In a drying apparatus for card packages posite sides of the conveyerbelts, and a vertically movable k hock-off strip in engagement with saidrods and extending across the said conveyer belts to occasion theremoval of the said card package therefrom.

l3. Ina drying apparatus for card packages of hooks and eyes, incombination, endless conveyer belts, a delivery chute adapted to delivera card package between said belts, a discharge chute adapted to receivesaid package from said conveyer belts, and a knockoff strip extendingacross said belts to direct the said package from the conveyer belts tothe said discharge chute, substantially as described.

14. In a drying apparatus for card packages of books and eyes, incombination, endless conveyer belts, a deliyery chute adapted to delivera card package between said belts, a discharge chute, and means forremoving cards from the said belts and guiding them into the saiddischarge chute, substantially as described.

15. In a drying apparatus for card packages of hooks and eyes, incombination, endless conveyer belts, a delivery chute adapted todeliver'a card package between said belts, a discharge chute, and meansfor removing cards laterallyfrom the said belts and guiding them intothe said discharge chute, substantially as described.

16. Inadryingapparatns for card packages of hooks and eyes, an endlessconveyer belt, a second endless conveyer belt, means at opposite ends ofthe apparatus for supporting the belts, means for separating thesaidbelts near the bottom of the apparatus so that packages may be placedupon one belt and beneath the other, means for separating the belts nearthe top of the apparatus to permit the removal of the packages from thebelts, and means intermediate the opposite ends of the apparatus forcausing the intermediate IIO portions of the belts to travel in contact,substant-ially as described.

17. In adryingapparatus for card packages of hooks and eyes, an endlessconveyer belt, a second endless conveyer belt, means for separating thesaid belts near the bottom of the apparatus so that packages may beplaced upon one belt and beneath the other, means for separating thebelts near the top of the apparatus, a knock-0E device extending betweensaid belts for removing the said packages from the belts, and means forcausing the intermediate portion of the belts to travel in contact,substantially as described.

18. In a drying apparatus, asupporting frame, a casing secured to saidsupporting frame, rollers mounted at the opposite ends of said frame,two sets of intermediate rollers which are supported in staggeredrelation, conveyer belts supported upon said rollers and traveling incontact through the said casing.

19. In a drying apparatus, a supporting frame, a casing secured to saidsupporting frame, rollers mounted at the opposite ends of said frame,conveyer belts supported upon said rollers, additional rollers locatedintermediate the firstnamed rollers, and each of said additional rollersbeing adapted to guide and hold each of the said conveyer belts in sucha position that they travel in contact.

20. In a drying apparatus, a supporting frame, a casing secured to saidsupporting frame, rollers mounted at the opposite ends of said frame,conveyer belts supported upon said rollers, additional rollers locatedintermediate the first named rollers, the said additional rollers beingarranged in alternate staggered relation, and adapted to guide and holdthe conveyer belts in contact, and also to maintain portions of thebelts upon opposite sides thereof in dilferent planes.

21. In a drying apparatus, a main frame or support, a series of rollerslocated at opposite ends of said frame, a couple of rollers locatedoutside the central vertical plane of said rollers, and mainly below oneseries thereof, a roller located at each end of the casing above andWithin the respective central vertical planes of said series of rollers,and endless conveyer belts supported and guided upon said rollers.

22. A main frame or support, a series of rollers located at the oppositeends of said frame, a couple of rollers located outside the centralvertical plane and mainly below one series of said rollers, a rollerlocated at each end of the said casing above and within the respectivecentral vertical planes of said series of rollers, an additional seriesof rollers located intermediate the first named series of rollers, andendless conveyer belts supported and guided upon the said rollers,substantially as described.

23. In a drying apparatus, a supporting frame, a series of rollerslocated at opposite ends of said frame, a couple of rollers locatedoutside the central vertical plane and mainly below one series of saidrollers, a roller located at each end of said frame above and within therespective central vertical planes of said series of rollers, anadditional series of rollers located intermediate the first named seriesand arranged in alternate staggered relation, an endless conveyer beltsupported and guided upon said rollers, substantially as described.

24. In a drying apparatus, a supporting frame, a series of rollerslocated at opposite ends of said frame, a couple of rollers locatedoutside the central vertical plane and mainly below one series of saidrollers, a roller located at each end of said frame above and within therespective central vertical planes of said series of rollers, anadditional series of rollers located intermediate the first named seriesand arranged in alternate staggered relation, an endless conveyer beltsupported and guided upon said rollers, the said belts having theportions thereof located upon the opposite sides of the staggeredrollers arranged in different planes, substantially as described.

25. In a drying apparatus, a main frame or support, shafts or axlessupported at the opposite ends of said frame, rollers and pulleysmounted upon said shafts, a driving band wheel intermediate the saidrollers and pulleys, an elongated pulley mounted upon the axle or shaftof said band wheel, and driving cords extending in opposite directionsfrom the said pulley to the first named pulleys, for the purpose ofcausing the travel of conveyer belts about the said rollers,substantially as described.

26. In a drying apparatus, a series of Verticallyarranged rollerslocated at opposite ends of the said apparatus, a couple of rollerslocated outside the plane of one series of said rollers, one of whichcouple of rollers is located in the same horizontal plane as the lowerroller of the adjacent series of rollers, the other roller of the couplebeing located in the same horizontal plane as the lowermost roller ofthe series of rollers at the opposite end of said apparatus,substantially as described.

27. In a drying apparatus, a series of verticall y arranged rollerslocated at opposite ends of said apparatus, two series of verticallyarranged rollers arranged in staggered relation intermediate the saidfirst-named series of rollers, a couple of rollers located outside thecentral vertical plane of one set of the first named series of rollers,an adjustable roller located at each end of the drying apparatus aboveand within the central vertical planes of the first named series ofrollers, and conveyer belts supported and guided upon the said rollers,substantially as described.

28. In a drying apparatus, in combination, an endless conveyer and aknock-01f strip in contact with said conveyer and adapted to move freelyin a plane, transverse to the direction of travel of the said conveyer,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have hereuntosigned my name this 30th day of April, A. D. 1903.

WILFRED STRAW.

Witnesses:

THOS. K. LANCASTER, LAURA KLEINFELDER.

